Opportunity International

Position: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Associate

Location: Lilongwe, Malawi

Job type: Full Time

Contract Type: Fixed 3 years

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Associate is responsible for implementing the OI Malawi MEL strategy and managing deliverables for grants and projects. This involves monitoring program activities against the program’s theory of change. The role will run standard survey tools, ensure data quality control, conduct project surveys, and perform data analysis. The role will ensure the M&E framework informs program optimization and expansion and aligns with the overall learning objectives. This role will cover MEL deliverables in Malawi and in support of Opportunity International Malawi (OIM).

Responsibilities

include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Strategy Implementation

1. Oversee the implementation of the AgFinance program M&E strategy, including analyzing data collected by Farmer Support Agents (FSAs) and conducting baseline and annual surveys for new cohorts of FSAs.
2. Oversee the MEL strategy for Opportunity International Malawi (OIM), including graduation programs, health programs, education finance, and financial literacy.
3. Execute the MEL work plan promptly, refining tool protocols and reporting against progress on activities and timelines.
4. Analyze data output from client services and generate key insights for program reporting and operation.
5. Liaise with AgFinance and OIM external learning partners contracted for specific third-party studies.
6. Liaise with the Knowledge Management (KM) team to ensure a cohesive approach to the organization’s learning agenda.

Data Collection & Quality Assurance

1. Develop new data collection tools to capture additional data needed to execute the MEL strategy.
2. Review and adapt existing MEL tools based on feedback, ensuring localization.
3. Recruit, onboard, and oversee local data collectors/enumerators.
4. Build the capacity of the local team with the use of MEL tools.
5. Train and support FSAs in data collection and survey protocol when utilizing FSAs for research or studies.
6. Conduct quality assurance on all data collected, ensuring it meets the criteria of timeliness, accuracy, validity, reliability, integrity, and completeness in coordination with the data management team.
7. Support project teams in conducting client verification protocols.
8. Conduct data quality assessments (DQAs), spot checks, validations and back-checks in collaboration with the data.

Project Activities

1. Provide technical support, including developing logframes, identifying key indicators, and creating MEL plans for specific projects or grants awarded.
2. Design surveys, lead Focus Group Discussions, key informant interviews, or other monitoring tools specific to projects.
3. Draft reports, client stories, or other outputs around learnings on projects for donor reporting for wider dissemination.
4. Maintain an updated performance indicator tracking system for projects in coordination with the data management team.
5. Learning, Communication & Knowledge Sharing
6. Participate in program review meetings, reflection workshops and adaptive management processes.
7. Document lessons learned, innovations from the field in the knowledge repository and ensure updated learning matrix.
8. Co-facilitate annual MEL workshops, support dissemination of findings with partners, clients, funders and government stakeholders.
9. Coordinate learning sessions and knowledge capture from evaluations, pilot initiatives, and feedback loops.
10. Contribute to the organization’s thought leadership through data-driven storytelling.

Qualifications

1. A graduate degree in social science research, international relations, development economics, or a relevant social science field.
2. 5+ years experience in M&E field management work in low- and middle-income country contexts.
3. Familiarity with survey collection/analysis software, CommCare and/or Nvivo experience a plus.
4. Formal Monitoring & Evaluation or Research certification is preferred.
5. Strong organizational and project management skills.
6. Excellent written communication skills.
7. An understanding of and a commitment to advancing the mission and core values of Opportunity International

Language skills

Written and verbal fluency in English, additional 1 or 2 local languages required. Must be able to attend & fully participate in meetings conducted in English.

Travel requirements

Travel within the country will be required for survey collection up to 30% of the time.

International travel may be required occasionally.

Contract Type

Fixed 3 Year Term

About AgFinance

Opportunity’s AgFinance model is structured to bring scalable and high-impact loans and training to rural families living in poverty to build thriving rural communities. AgFinance accomplishes this by building relationships with financial institutions to support the provision of tailored agricultural credit products and services to smallholders and agribusinesses while providing technology-enabled training and services directly to farmers. Learn more at agfin.org.

About Opportunity International Malawi

Opportunity International Malawi was established in 2017. The organization supports smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs across all three regions of Malawi, providing them with the tools, knowledge, and financial resources needed to increase productivity, improve incomes, and build resilience. With a commitment to sustainable impact, Opportunity International Malawi's vision and strategy is to leverage solutions that empower people living in poverty to transform their lives, their children's futures, and their communities.

About Opportunity International

Opportunity International is a global nonprofit that has been equipping people to build sustainable livelihoods and educate their children for 55 years. Opportunity provides nearly 17 million people with innovative financial resources, training, and support to grow their small businesses and send their children to school. In 2025, Opportunity International and its partners released over $1.9 billion in capital, helping fund more than 17,000 schools that reached 5 million children and supporting 887,810 farming households. Committed to human-centered solutions for the most underserved, Opportunity's Digital Innovation Group develops solutions that leverage cutting-edge tools like AI to expand access to financial services, agricultural support, and educational opportunity. Discover more at opportunity.org or join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Child protection commitment

Opportunity believes that all children have a right to protection from any form of abuse regardless of gender, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Opportunity operates in line with international best practices for child protection and recognizes its responsibility to ensure that all employees. This policy applies to anyone acting on behalf of Opportunity or is involved in its programs in any capacity. All employees are subject to background checks, which include criminal checks and sex offender list checks, as allowed by local law.

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